My trip around the world recorded October 1, 2009 through November 6, 2009. CONTENTS: 00:13 Toronto, Canada – Air Canada flight #31 nonstop to Beijing, China. 00:47 Beijing, China – During my 3 night stay in Beijing I visit Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, The Great Wall, The Summer Palace and The Temple of Heaven. 04:34 Xingang, China – Board the Diamond Princess for my 16-day Asia cruise. 05:42 Yellow Sea – During our two sea days in the Yellow Sea Captain Dino Sagani hosted the formal Welcome Reception. 06:52 Shanghai, China – I visit the Jin Mao Tower and got an impressive view of Shanghai. I also visited People’s Square and took a walk around the Huangpu district. 08:51 Okinawa, Japan – During my short half day in the country I visited Shikinaen Gardens and Ryukyu Mura. 11:43 Taipei, Taiwan – Our tour started with a photo stop at Taipei 101. We then visited the National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the Grand Hotel, National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine, DiHua Street and Lungshan Temple before returning to Keelung to sail away. 15:19 Hong Kong – My sampan ride in Aberdeen Harbour was followed by a visit to Stanley Market. Next there we spectacular views of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak. Next I took the renowned Star Ferry into bustling downtown for a wlk around the city. The day ended as the Diamond Princess sailed through Victoria Harbour during the Symphony of Lights. 18:40 Lantau Island – During my second day in Hong Kong I took a trip out to Lantau Island …
My personal website: www.futuretimeline.net — Introducing the “Burj Dubai”. Completed in January 2010, it has overtaken Taipei 101 to become the new World’s Tallest Building. It stands over half a mile high, with 160 storeys. That’s like stacking 2 Empire State Buildings on top of each other. In this video from 2007, Matt Rogers takes a look inside the unfinished building including a view from the 137th floor. If you love skyscrapers and architecture then visit http and www.skyscraperpage.com Burj Dubai thread www.skyscrapercity.com
Preview of Benandnicola’sblog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Sydney, Australia Entry Title: “Sydney” Entry: “We are just leaving Sydney after a fantastic week. We loved it so much, that we extended it an extra few days! Our first views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House were absolutely magnificent. Our apartment was on the 23rd floor and we had 2 balconies with the most amazing views. We stayed at the Quay West Apartments for 4 nights. On our first night we met Kim and Michael in Manley, which is a short boat trip from the circular quay. It was fantastic as we sailed up close to the Opera house. The next morning we did the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and climbed to the summit of the bridge. It was an organized tour that took around 4 hours. The day was sunny and clear so we could see for miles. It was an excellent experience and well worth doing. On the Friday night we met Owen and Elaine, we then headed off to the Casino, where we met Kim and Joel. It was a boozy night, which ended with Nicola taking a tumble and calling Kelly on her mobile for about 30 minutes. She wouldn’t have minded however, she can’t remember any of the conversation. Saturday night we went for dinner at Owen and Elaine’s local, the Lord Dudley. Sunday we went to the Blue Mountains with Kim and Joel. First to Echo Point, were we saw the Three Sisters rock. We also …
Preview of Bong808′sblog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Sydney, Australia Entry Title: “Sydney!” Entry: “Well I got back into the city on Tuesday, Oct 13th and had the afternoon off after a long drive back from Bathurst. I was looking for accommodations because the hostel I stayed at prior was full. As I was sitting at the internet cafe, I was slipping into exhaustion still felt a bit jet lagged, so I decided to go to the one right across the street. Turns out to be very cheap, a little basic, but I met some really interesting people. A few of them are your typical backpackers, but mostly people who are staying longterm and are basically working throughout the week at various jobs. That night I walked the length of Kent st. to find Lord Nelson’s Brewery. It was worth the walk because I found a great beer at the end of it. Old Admiral is a red ale with streaks of black, or a brown ale to be simpler put. They also had three sheets pale ale and old blood, which is a stout. There were a few others on tap that I must go back to try and the food looks good to. It is the oldest brewery in Sydney and still to this day brews their beer on site, mostly. On Wednesday I went to the Australian Museum where they had an Egyptian Pharaoh exhibit which is only here for a few weeks. They had a lot of mummy’s both in and out of their caskets, as well as artifacts …
Preview of Skcoll’s blog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Sydney, Australia Entry Title: “Sydney” Entry: “Day 126 Saturday 05/03/05 Brisbane – Sydney We caught a bus to the airport and flew with Qantas to Sydney. After waiting a while for the hostel’s free minibus we took a while getting back through the city – the Mardi Gras was on and the parade had closed many streets causing loads of traffic problems. We dumped our bags, had a snack in a local cafe and headed down to Oxford Street to grab ourselves a watching space. We were there 2 hours early and still didn’t get a front row space! The parade lasted 1.5 hours and had fireworks too. It was an interesting parade that was good fun – displays by the police (who got a great cheer), the firefighters, the Welsh and the Scottish were our favourites. A big emphasis was put on gays/lesbians adopting kids as there have been some controversial cases recently – lots of kids were marching in the parade too. After the end we headed back to the hostel stopping for a delicious Thai meal on the way home. Day 127 Sunday 06/03/05 Sydney We started the day with some disappointing local markets at the lovely El Alamein fountain (allegedly thistle shaped!! – but it looked more like a dandelion to us). We then took a train to the Town Hall and walked through the main business/shopping area to get to the harbour. we …
I was quite surprised to run into several of these birds in the Harbourside food court near the hotel. Not sure what it is, though, other than intrepid.
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Update: thanks to my two favorite birders, I now know that this is an Australian White Ibis, also know as a "Sacred Ibis." Wikipedia provides this interesting tidbit:
"There has been debate in recent years over whether to consider them a pest or a possibly endangered species. Birds in tourist areas of Sydney such as Darling Harbour, the Royal Botanic Gardens, or Centennial Park have been a problem due to their strong smell. Populations in the latter two areas have been culled.[7]. The birds have also come to be regarded as a problem species in Victoria as a result of their scavenging activities, scattering rubbish from tips and bins in the process. They are even known to snatch sandwiches from picknickers. Such behaviour, together with their propensity to build nests in "inappropriate" places, and competition with captive animals, led to surplus birds being relocated from Healesville Sanctuary to Sale. However, the birds returned in a few days."
Preview of Ruairioc’sblog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Sydney, Australia Entry Title: “Sydney Central” Entry: “If New York is the city that never sleeps then Sydney must come a close second; this city has it all, beaches, museums, parks, coastal walks, beautiful weather, the best bars and restaurants not to mention the myriad of world class sights on offer. One of the highlights had to be the visit to the Opera house and the flamenco show by Sara Baras that we attended. This building is without doubt a marvel of modern architecture and justifiably is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Surrounded by the views of circular quay, the harbour bridge on one side and the stunning botanical gardens on the other you just end up standing there with your mouth open in awe of this impossibly beautiful setting. From spectacular Darling Harbour, to buzzing Chinatown to the pounding beat of 24hr parties in Kings cross we explored and explored to our hearts content. So easy to get around too with monorail, subway, trains, buses and ferries all interlinked and running like clockwork. Jeez this sounds like an ad for the Sydney tourist office! The public ferries gave us the chance to see lots of the coastal areas like the fishing village of Watsons bay and its beautiful walk to the lighthouse and a bit of an eyeful as we passed a nudist beach. Seriously it …
Preview of Lisamcsherry’s blog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Manly, Australia Entry Title: “Sydney side up” Entry: “This probably isn’t the best time of year to visit the southern half of Australia, just as it isn’t the best time to visit NZ, but once we crossed the Tasman sea and landed in Sydney, it felt like a world away. The sun was shining (I know, it’s not Auckland’s fault that the weather was ****) and it was passably warm, as warm as a heat wave in Scotland. The big difference was the life and vibrancy of the place. The streets seemed full and bustling and there was a life about the place that we just hadn’t found in New Zealand (except Queenstown, but that’s just backpacker life and doesn’t count). Pretty quickly I remembered why I fell in love with this place when I lived here for a time in 2001. The towering skyscrapers and lovely parks, but most of all the harbour, are all wonderful. After an age on an “express” bus from the airport (we basically got a tour of Kings Cross and Potts Point while the bus driver went looking for various hotels and shouted down his radio that he didn’t want to go for a drink with someone on the other end) we got off at Circular Quay and got to take in the world famous view across to North Ryde, with the Sydney Harbour bridge on your left and the Opera House on your right. Lisa was instantly impressed and …
Preview of Kevinandteresa’sblog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Sydney, Australia Entry Title: “Sydney – the Opera House, the Bridge and …” Entry: “Sydney – Return trip to Australia Thursday 18th Feb — arrived into Sydney airport 4.45pm local time, gaining two hours. Starting to wonder if you kept travelling endlessly could you actually get younger? Now is that travel fever or what? Got through Customs/baggage reclaim pretty quickly and out to arrivals to check out mode of transport to hotel. Booked a return ticket for the shuttle bus which would drop us to our hotel — we were asked to wait for the driver who would come and bring us to the coach. Eventually a guy arrived talking on his mobile — he then gestured to us (others waiting also) to follow him. Dutifully we all got up and followed. We arrived at the coach stop (No 34) and our coach arrived there to pick us up — as I was handing the luggage to him I mentioned the Hotel we were staying in — he looked at me strangely and said — no Victoria Hotel only Shangri La Hotel. Pardon me? No Victoria Hotel — you have to go back and get other bus. Hello? We stood there bemused only to be met by another French couple who had had a similar experience — they told us that they had been waiting for over an hour at that point and no shuttle yet. I stormed back to the shuttle desk to find out what …
Preview of Smtcan’s blog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Katoomba, Australia Entry Title: “A Day in the Blue Mountains” Entry: “We got up early and walked to Central Station where we took the train to Katoomba. The journey took 2 hours and a day return cost . The first hour was not very interesting, just through the suburbs, but after that we enjoyed mountain scenery. The train stopped very often, seemed like every five minutes. At Katoomba we boarded the Blue Mountain Trolley ( for the day). It was somewhat cloudy, but warm and dry. We saw the Leura Cascades, Kiah lookout with a view of the Jamison Valley then left the shuttle at Echo Point. We went to the information centre then walked down to the viewing platform to see the Three Sisters. When we returned we caught the next shuttle past Katoomba Falls to the Skyway Station. The Skyway cable car took us across the Jamison Valley and we had wonderful views of the Falls and the Three Sisters. We ended in Scenic World where we had lunch. We travelled down into the valley on the Scenic Railway. It was originally a way to get miners down to the coal mines, but was improved for tourists when the mine closed. A boardwalk nature trail led us through the rain forest past the old mine workings. AV and plaques tell the story. The vegetation was very lush and we saw a huge termites nest. At the end of …
Preview of Ramdux’s blog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Sydney, Australia Entry Title: “Avoiding the kitsch in Sydney” Entry: “Well Sydney was an experience and a half. Only because it’s probably the most cosmopolitan and modern city I’ve seen on my travels outside London. In fact, it was a lot like London. So much so that during one of the lunchtimes I spent there, I went into the Central Business District and just observed hundreds of office workers talking on their mobiles, drinking their Starbucks coffee and wearing thick sunglassess. Pretty much like what one would see in the City of London. But seriously, Sydney is the place to be for touristy culture but has so much kitsch stalls and shops selling all types of Australian souvenirs like replica models of the Sydney Opera House to tacky T-Shirts saying “I stood on the other side of the world in Sydney”. I mean who would want to buy that stuff? Three days in Sydney staying in the upmarket area of Potts Point was comfortable though the hotel was just dingy and cold. Still you can’t have it all and it wasn’t as if I was going to spend all my time in the non-existent lobby talking to the geriatric receptionist there. Circular Quay Circular Quay is the place to visit when in Sydney, the area houses the famouse quay leading out to Sydney Harbour, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Rocks and of course …
Preview of Pajas’s blog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Sydney, Australia Entry Title: “Letztes Australien! / Last Australia!” Entry: “Destination 210: km 113’961 Mit einem aufwaendigen Verfahren habe ich in Bathurst das 1h- Nutzungsrecht der Computer der oeffentlichen Bibliothek genutzt um meine Online Erledigungen zu tun. Noch einmal in der Zeitung als Beitrag erschienen wurde ich dort sogar erkannt (!). Nach dennoch erholsamen 4 Tagen und einer Nacht in den Blue Mountains bei den Three Sisters (Bergformation) habe ich mich in der Alfred Park Accommodation in Sydney einquartiert um meine Reise sowie Motorrad Transport nach Neuseeland in die Wege zu leiten. Eine massive Schlechwetterfront hatte dazu gefuehrt, dass mit dem Motorrad keine weiteren Fahrten ausserhalb Sydneys durchgefuehrt wurden und ich fuer rund 3 Wochen im Hostel blieb und die Ausreise aus Australien nach Neuseeland organisierte. Alles in Allem ein Erfolg, auch wenn eine Grippe Epidemie zusammen mit der Schlechwetterfront die ganze Arbeit sehr erschwert hatte. Lebt wohl ihr Aussies, leb wohl Australien! (Aber nicht ihr Scheiss Fliegen und Kakadus!) XXXXX With much effort I could use the one-hour-using-right of the Computers at the public Library in Bathurst to do a lot of Internet work. Once again as a part of a report in the Newspaper I even was recognized there (!). After 4 …
Preview of Danskgirl’sblog at TravelPod. Read the full blog here: www.travelpod.com This blog preview was made by TravelPod using the TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow creator. Entry from: Port Douglas, Australia Entry Title: “Port Douglas” Entry: “Port Douglas, Queensland, AUSTRALIA 7th – 15th June 2007 Arrived in Sydney at lunch time and had a 5 hour layover which was fine as we had to collect the bags to put them through security for the domestic flight to Cairns, so there was time to look in book shops and eat and drink latte’s and read (trachy magazines in my case). Qantas flight (service better in International) to Cairns after no sleep for 30 hours would’ve been better without a load of American spring breakers majoring in loudness but the movie was ‘Picture Perfect’ ??? which was grand (E Norton, N Watts). Finally got to Cairns at 11pm and my sister had arranged a limo to come get us for the hour long drive to Port Douglas which seemed to take forever. So stayed up for another few hours with welcoming commitee that was my sister, her husband and her brother-in-law at Peppers Beach Club a lovely 5* resort. Had sleep of the dead but had to check out at 10am next day (uncilivised or what) so recuperation had to wait. Around 11am I was playing with my nieces at the hotel pool when low and behold my mother walks in (from Ireland) as a surprise. Flabbergasted we were. Then we had wedding rehersals (my brother-in-laws sister) and lunches to go to and we had to check into …
Corporate cover band & Wedding reception band -Duo, trio or more: Benedictine is one of Australia’s leading musical exports successfully entertaining world wide. Musical Director and pianist Glenn-Michael Askew excites audiences with his extraordinary energy playing live grooves on up to three keyboards at once! Combined with the sweet sounds of Kirsty Joy on lead vocals sharing her soul with sultry jazz right through to disco, pop and blues. Benedictine also thrills audiences with show stopping musical theatre tributes making them perfect for your corporate functions or special events. With years of entertaining behind them, Benedictine knows how to please a room. With a repertoire of over 300 songs, Benedictines versatility will captivate every audience. Kirsty Joy started singing on the Gold Coast ten years ago and it has taken her around the world! From lounge bars in Las Vegas to clubs in Singapore and five star hotels in India, she has adapted to them all. It is this incredible versatility and her sassy stage presence that makes her an international success. From smooth jazz to funky disco, beautiful ballads, show tunes, reggae, pop, soul and country she can sing it all! As Musical Director for the Sydney Wentworth Sheraton, Entertainment Officer for both Lady Hawkesbury and Captain Cook Cruises, Assistant Entertainment Coordinator for Palazzo Versace and Legends Hotel and Entertainment Coordinator for the Australasian Bicentennial Travelling Exhibition (just to …
